Meditation for the week: “Repentance is one of the good things that the Holy One has provided for human beings . . . that were they to sin constantly and rebel continually against You, even then You would not close the gates of repentance, as the verse attests, ‘Return, you backsliding children, I will heal your backsliding.’ (Jeremiah 2:2)” – Jonah ben Abraham Girondi, Gates of RepentanceWorship Please remember to bring donations for the Food Basket or school supplies for Wilburn Elementary when you attend. As well, Wilburn students are in need of underwear, socks, plain T-shirts (solid color, no decoration), pull-up shorts, and elastic-waist slacks. Kabbalat Shabbat Worship, Friday, September 19, 7:45 pm. Selichot, Saturday, September 20, 8:30 pm: gathering/study/worship - "God Wrestling 101". All worship services meet at St. Marks Episcopal Church, 1725 North New Hope Rd, Raleigh, NC 27604. Pre-High Holiday Sing-Alongs Preparing musically for the new year: If you are interested in becoming more familiar with High Holiday music, please join Cantor Karen and Kol Yavneh (our singing and music ensemble) for an informal "sing-along" session tonight, Tuesdayevening, September 16, 7:00 – 8:30 in the Sanctuary. Please RSVP to cantor@yavneh-raleigh.org ASAP so that we know how many copies of the lyrics and/or music to bring. Fall Scholars-in-Residence Advance Reservations Mark your calendar now for “Forming Light, Creating Darkness: Quantum Physics and Kabbalah,” A Shabbaton with Rabbi Fern Feldman and Karen Barad, Ph.D., on Friday – Saturday, October 31 – November 1. Yavneh invites you to an extraordinary opportunity to learn with a rabbi and a particle physicist. From their different, yet overlapping, perspectives, they shed a new light on creation and Jewish teaching. Drawing on texts from Torah, kabbalah, and quantum physics, learn how our own actions and intentions participate directly in the ongoing life of the universe. Together, with the guidance of a master teacher of quantum physics and a rabbi, we will come to understand how all existence is alive and involved in the process of creation. For detailed program information, click here. High Holy Days FAQS

It is Yavneh’s minhag (custom) to welcome all who wish to join us for High Holy Day services, members or not. We do, however, invite our members and guests to honor the Jewish tradition of tzedakah at this time of celebration and remembrance. If you are not yet a member of Yavneh and choose to join the community later in the 2014 - 15 fiscal year, 100% of your High Holy Day contribution will be credited toward annual affiliation. Please consider how your holy giving can help support our synagogue now and throughout the year, so Yavneh may continue serving you and others in the community whenever needed. Click here to access the 2014 High Holy Day reservation form and detailed holiday schedule. Please notify Reb Raachel of loved ones you would like to remember during our Yom Kippur Yizkor (memorial) service (rabbi@yavneh-raleigh.org). Memorialize loved ones by donating to our Flower Fund for the Holy Days. Participation Opportunities:

To donate food or funding for our Rosh haShanah oneg and the Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast, or to volunteer to help set up and clean up, please contact Caro Foulkrod (2carofoulkrod@gmail.com).

Would you honor us by serving as a reader during our High Holy Day worship? Please contact Dr. Jeff Land to receive your volunteer English reading assignment (drjland@earthlink.net).

Calling Shofar-blowers! Help us bring in the new year with the awe-inspiring voice of the shofar. Please let Reb Raachel (rabbi@yavneh-raleigh.org) know if you would like to blow shofar for Selichot (Saturdayevening, September 20) or on Rosh haShanah morning (Thursday, September 25). We invite all of you to create a “T’kiah G’dolah M’od,” a really loud blast, at the end of our Yom Kippur Worship (Saturday, October 4).

Upcoming Yavneh Events Yavneh’s Men’s Spirituality Group will meet next on Wednesday evening,October 1, at 7:30 . This group provides an opportunity to explore how we can understand Torah/Jewish-based spirituality from our perspectives as men, fathers, sons, brothers, husbands, and friends and to explore how Torah/Jewish-based spirituality can inform how we live our lives. For information or to RSVP, contact Lewis Copulsky at lewiscopulsky@gmail.com or 919-606-4276; directions provided when you RSVP. Spirit-Wisdom-Intuition Yavneh SoulCollage® workshop, facilitated by Doreen Clark, will next meet on Sunday, October 12th, 2:00 – 5:00 pm. These gatherings are now FREE (except for a small materials and refreshments fee of $5 collected anonymously). Although geared to Yavneh members, the sessions are open to all. Attendees are invited to arrive at 1:00 to enjoy an hour schmoozing and snacking beforehand. Email Doreen at doreen@lewisclarkinc.com to reserve your spot. Enrollment at each workshop is limited to eight participants. For more information about SoulCollage® in general, see www.soulcollage.com. PLEASE NOTE - Because of Erev Simchat Torah, The Yavneh Mitzvah Study Group will not be meeting the third Wednesday in October (10/15). A new meeting date will be announced in a future Yavneh Update . Community Events The Triangle Seminar for Jewish Studies opens its fall semester at the National Humanities Center in RTP on Tuesday, October 7 (subsequent sessions will beon Monday evenings. Please click here for full information about this semester’s topics and registration. Social Action Carolina Jews for Justice is working to secure the opportunity to register voters on the Wake Tech Community College campuses. If you are interested in coordinating this voter registration activity and/or volunteering to register voters at Wake Tech, please email Randee Gordon or Bob Leker or call them at 919-781-7638. The Jewish Family Services B’Yachad Program is recruiting volunteers for a friendly visitor outreach to Jewish patients in area hospitals. For more information email Tracey Bennett, the JFS B’Yachad volunteer coordinator or call her at 919-676-2200. The Tutoring Team at Wilburn can always use some more players: each member of the team helps one student at Wilburn Elementary twice weekly with reading. Next school year, we hope to welcome more Yavneh and St. Mark’s members to the team, as the need for reading assistance at Wilburn is far greater than we can meet with our small but dedicated group. Please contact Terry Wall (919-832-3055) to discuss becoming a volunteer tutor. An option for volunteers is to become an Augustine-method trained tutor. Augustine training costs approximately $300, with significant financial aid available; the training is helpful, though not required, for Wilburn tutors. If you wish to plan to participate in the training, available dates include September 8-12 (8:30 am -1:00 pm), Crossroads Fellowship, Raleigh and Oct. 6-17 (9:00 am – 3:00 pm.), Watts Street Church, Durham. Terry can also give you more information about the Augustine method. Harvesting in the New Hope Community Garden takes place every Wednesdaymorning at 9:00 a.m., and the harvested crops are donated to the Interfaith Food Shuttle for distribution to those in most need. The garden is located at St. James United Methodist Church, just off New Hope Road, north of Buffaloe Road. Turn west on Sue Ellen Drive, then take an immediate right turn onto St. James Church Road. Go to the second driveway on the right. The garden is behind the smaller buildings at the end of the parking lot. Please bring your own hat, gardening gloves, sun screen, and bug spray. Read more about the garden in this article from the News&Observer.

Would you like to have your business listed in Yavneh's Member-to-Member Yellow Pages? Send a description of your business (maximum 100 words) including a web link or email contact address to webmaster@yavneh-raleigh.org.